Sheet Pile Design with Variable Soil Parameters

A computer program was developed to assist design engineers in their calculations for a sheet pile section under given soil conditions and a given factor of safety in which the Free Earth Support Method is used. The purpose of this study was to investigate those parameters which have a significant effect on design and to determine their relative importance. Three representative soil profiles have been studied that cover many of the conditions encountered in practice, including all granular material behind and below the sheet pile, a multilayered cohesive deposit, and a granular backfill over a cohesive layer. Study results are presented and recommendations are made for further research efforts.